Outlook: Thanksgiving’s premier matchup this year is in Detroit, where the Vikings, just one game behind the Eagles in the race for home-field advantage, will matchup with a Lions team that’s deep in the thick of the Wild Card hunt. It’s a crucial matchup for both teams, and while Minnesota might seem like the obvious favorite, it’s not wise to count out Matthew Stafford in this matchup, considering how well he’s played over the past month. Case Keenum has been similarly successful and will keep his starting job for at least another week, but sooner or later, the wheels seem like they’ll fall off that bandwagon. Lucky for him, his arsenal of offensive weapons includes Adam Thielen, who has been unstoppable over his past three games. Working out of the slot, he should avoid Lions shutdown corner Darius Slay, which is good news for the Vikings offense. Ultimately, it’s the Vikings defense that will decide this one.

Player to watch: Everson Griffen, DE. One of the fiercest linemen in the NFL this season, Griffen now gets to face a Lions offensive line that hasn’t exactly done a great job at keeping Stafford safe this season. Last week was his first this season without a sack. Don’t count on that becoming a trend.

Line: Vikings by 3

Pick: Vikings, 27-23

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS AT DALLAS

Kickoff: 1:30 p.m.

Outlook: For weeks, as Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension loomed, we reasoned that the Cowboys could stay afloat without him, until he returned for a possible playoff run. Well, the last two weeks haven’t exactly gone as planned. The Cowboys have 16 points over their last two, and while left tackle Tyron Smith should be back in the lineup, a matchup with a surging Chargers defense isn’t exactly ideal. Los Angeles has been about as streaky as it gets this season, but as the rest of the AFC West falters, the Chargers have a chance to take advantage. Both Philip Rivers and Melvin Gordon need to be more consistent, if they expect to build on their two-game win streak. Expect an uglier than usual game her

Player to watch: Joey Bosa, DE. With Smith out, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been running for his life the past two weeks. Enter: Bosa, who has eight sacks in his past six weeks and seems to really be hitting his stride these past few games. With Melvin Ingram drawing attention on the other side, Bosa could have a monster game, even if Smith returns.

Line: Pick ‘em

Pick: Chargers, 24-20

NEW YORK GIANTS AT WASHINGTON

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m.

Outlook: The Giants are riding high after an ugly upset victory over the flailing Chiefs, but one week’s worth of momentum can’t save their deteriorated season — or Ben McAdoo’s job — at this point. The Giants would be best served tanking for a top quarterback from here on out, but somehow they’ll probably screw that up. Washington’s schedule is actually pretty friendly from here, and it’s not inconceivable that they could make a last-ditch run for the Wild Card. But time is running out, and they’re running out of healthy players. While they’re likely to lean on the run game in this one, given New York’s inability to stop anyone on the ground, Kirk Cousins has been putting up big numbers lately. He’s playing for a big contract from someone, and that’s plenty of reason to keep someone motivated, even on a team like Washington.

Player to watch: Samaje Perine, RB. Washington is running out of running backs, with Chris Thompson now joining Rob Kelley on injured reserve. The rookie Perine is the only notable back remaining, and he’ll have a great matchup to exploit on Thanksgiving night. After looking inefficient for most of the season’s first half, he had his best game of the season last Sunday.

Ryan Kartje is a sports features reporter, with a special focus on the NFL and college sports. He has worked for the Orange County Register since 2012, when he was hired as UCLA beat writer. His enterprise work on the rise and fall of the daily fantasy sports industry (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/industry-689093-fantasy-daily.html) was honored in 2015 with an Associated Press Sports Editors’ enterprise award in the highest circulation category. His writing has also been honored by the Football Writers Association of America and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Ryan worked for the Bloomington (Ind.) Herald-Times and Fox Sports Wisconsin, before moving out west to live by the beach and eat copious amounts of burritos.